Cursed
by psychoticdream
Summary: Charlie has spent years plotting her reveng on Damon Salvator, when she returns to her hometown of Mystic Falls, she's accidently thrown into a war between Damon and Klaus and a hybrids thirst for blood.(co authors, bregobeauty/ninarippner
1. Prologue

Cursed

Prologue

Charlie gently set her tiny bare feet on the floor as she clutched her pink stuffed rabbit in her arms. She gingerly stepped towards the door despite the dark. Her bright, big, golden eyes picked up the little bit of light from her nightlight close to the door making them shine a little in the dark.

"Sissy?"

Her voice was small and squeaky, even for a four year old she was small-a good four inches smaller than most her age. The bunny she held close to her was nearly half her size. Her blonde hair was a mess of short curls.

"Sissy? Is that you?" She tried again.

She took a few steps down on the stairs and sat down so that she could see the living room. It was dark, the only light in the room was coming from a small touch light that her older sister had put in for when she got up in the middle night to use the restroom or get a drink of water. Even with the light on it only served to cast shadows across the room. Charlie could just barely make out the back of a tall, square man standing almost dead center in front of the room. His hair was dark, and slightly wavy towards the nape of his neck. A still figure lay in front of him on the couch, long auburn curls flowed over the edge of the couch and a slender pale arm hung lazily off the seat.

"Sissy, is that you?"

The man turned to look at her, blood dripping from his chin. Clear blue eyes shone against pale skin as he stared at her, his face hard as stone.

"Where did you come from?" he questioned.

Her eyes fell on the still body of her sister. Her thin frame lay lifeless on the leather couch, her small black dress contrasting against her lighter skin. Her blue eyes were open, staring out into the darkness. The crook of her neck was open with some kind of wound that Charlie couldn't make out through the darkness, but she could see the blood that was smeared across her chest and face.

The mans' shoulders slumped ever so slightly and he looked away from Charlie as he realized what the little girl was looking at.

"Kassy?" Charlie whimpered.

The man looked between the little girl on the stairs, and the older woman on the couch. Her mouth fell open a little and she started to suck in breath but before she could scream the man became a blur and he was crouching in front of her on the stairs. With one bent finger he gently lifted her chin so that she was forced to make full and complete eye contact with him. He then spoke firmly and slowly.

"You didn't see anything, okay? You're going to go back upstairs and fall right to sleep and you won't remember anything at all." He stayed there for a brief moment, as if to see if it was sinking in.

And then just as quickly as he appeared, he left. Taking the body that had been lying on the couch.

Charlie looked around the room, looking for the dark man and her older sister. She stood up and quickly made her way down the stairs and towards the couch. She gently touched the place where Kassandra had been lying and opened her mouth. This time, she screamed.

_20 Years Later, Mystic Falls_

Charlie smiled as she set her box on the desk. It was overflowing with books and pens and general office nick knacks. She sighed, her golden eyes looking around the empty classroom. The students had stacked the chairs in the corner the last time they left and all the easels were folded neatly by a long slate counter that had paints and cups full of brushes on top as well as a deep sink towards the middle of the counter.

Across the room from the sink were several gold hooks drilled into the wall that were holding up a variety of smocks and aprons, some black and some a strange off white cream color, but they were all splattered with various bright paints. At the end of each the last teacher had written 'Art room 203' in black permanent marker. The ink was slightly faded and become a little fuzzy but it could still be read.

The tile floor was surprisingly clean. She didn't know the last teacher that had used the room, but whoever it was did not mess around when it came to leaving things just as they found them.

Charlie slipped her slender body into her new leather chair and continued to survey her new work space. She brushed a long blonde curl out of her face and away from her creamy freckled cheeks.

She leaned back in her chair and swiveled it so that she could look out the window. From her office she could just barely make out the front steps of the library and the man that she had found out made increasing visits there. She watched as he stepped out of the building, even though his dark hair was slightly shaggy, the wind didn't seem to have any effect on it. It was almost as if he and his crisp jeans and leather jacket were in their own little bubble where no one could touch them.

He raised his head and looked towards her-his sparkling blue eyes looking around suspiciously. Charlie leaned forward in her seat; she knew he couldn't see her but part of her wished that he could.

"Soon, Damon Salvatore, very soon."


	2. Chapter One

Cursed

Chapter One

_Mystic Falls, Thirty Two Years Ago_

Elena stumbled backward as the body in front of her burst into flames. Kol faltered and waved his arms viscously as he shouted in pain. She watched with big brown eyes as he fell onto his back and withered into nothing more than a pile of ashes and charred bone. Her mouth was left slightly ajar as if she wasn't sure if she should say something or to enjoy the victory, or if she should stay silent in reverence of the fallen Original.

"Elena…" Jeremy looked up from the other side of the body, a hint of horror in his eyes. "I was supposed to kill him."

_Mystic Falls, Present Day_

"Hey, you're the new girl aren't you?"

Charlie jumped at the voice, a cold Pepsi in hand. She wasn't a morning person—never had been, never would be—and certainly hadn't heard anyone enter the teacher's lounge. It was mid-morning and most teachers were in class. At least they were supposed to be, she turned her body to a slight angle so that she could who was talking to her, holding the back of her hand over her mouth as she tried to swallow the soda that was already in her mouth.

"Sorry?" she croaked.

"I didn't mean to scare you… I'm Jeremy Gilbert. You took over Mrs. Weissman's classes, didn't you?" At her blank look, he added, "The art teacher?"

"Oh, yeah… sorry… I'm Charlie," she said with a blush.

"Charlie what?"

"Griggson. Charlie Griggson. Sorry, I'm kinda useless without my morning Pepsi."

He nodded, sitting in an arm chair across from her. Even with his jacket on, she could see the outline of muscles. For a middle aged man, Jeremy Gilbert was in great shape. He was tall with white skin that had slight tan to it—she assumed from working out in the sun. His eyes were dark, with little wrinkles around them.

"It's okay. So, what brings you to Mystic Falls?"

"Oh, work." She nodded, turning her back to him again to set her Pepsi on the counter.

"There weren't teaching jobs anywhere else?" he asked with raise eyebrows. Charlie couldn't tell if he was serious or joking.

"I…I was born here."

"Really? Huh…" Jeremy crossed his arms, causing the sleeves of his jacket to rise.

Charlie turned back to him. On his right side, from the back of his hand up his wrist to underneath his jacket was a dark tattoo. It was obscure and hard to understand but clearly visible.

"Yeah." Her golden eyes fell on his hand. "That's a neat tattoo. Tribal art?"

He looked down at his arm, his brow furrowed. "Tattoo?"

"On your right arm?"

"Oh, that…" He tugged the jacket down. "A teenage mistake. I was rebellious back then." His mouth turned upward with a little smirk.

"Well, it's neat."

Jeremy smiled a bit. "I should let you wake up. I just thought I'd introduce myself. If you need anything, I'm right down the hall. Room 232." He stood up. "Have a nice day, Miss Griggson."

"You, too, Mr. Gilbert."

She turned back to the counter and picked up her can of soda as she stared aimlessly out the window.

_Mystic Falls, Thirty Two Years Ago_

Damon had an arm around Elena.

Elena shook her head, looking between Damon and Jeremy.

"I couldn't stop him—"

"He was coming at her, what was I supposed to do? Toss you the stake and hope he magically turned around?" Damon half-glared at him.

Jeremy stared him, his chest moving deeply, partially from anger.

"The whole point of this was to get the mark to grow," his voice rose as he spoke. "You killing him makes this whole thing pointless!"

"Guys…" Elena tried to cut in as fear crept into her voice.

"We'll find another way." Damon half shrugged.

"Guys," Elena said a little louder.

This time both of them looked and realized that her head was turned away from them and the horrific scene in the middle of them.

Her head was turned toward the doorway where Damon had left the door open on his way in. Klaus stood just outside the door, his toes as close to the threshold as he possibly could get. He stood and silently watched their exchange. His jaw was clenched tight and judging from the water in his eyes he had been there for a few minutes.

"Klaus—"

"What… have you done?" he croaked, his eyes lifting to look at Elena.

"We did it for the cure… Jeremy was supposed to kill him to complete his mark… you wanted him dead too." She tried to excuse what they had just done.

"I was going to make him suffer on _my terms!_" he roared.

Elena blinked and took a small step back.

"I was going to kill him to complete the mark so that we could find the cure."

Klaus took a step back and shook his head; a sickening smirk graced his lips as if he found it funny.

"You think I gave a damn about the cure?" He looked back at them. "I was going to kill you both the second I laid eyes on it."

Jeremy looked at Elena who simply looked away as if surprised. Damon's blue eyes flicked to the floor and the back to Klaus, but his stone-cold face not changing. Klaus leaned as far forward as he could without passing the threshold and looked around the house.

"I'm going to burn this house to the ground." He looked directly at them. "Then I'll kill you as you run for cover just for sport."

_Mystic Falls, Present Day_

Back in her classroom, Charlie drifted once more, her eyes focused outside the windows.

A dark shape passed by, shocking her into awareness. He hadn't aged a day in twenty years. The black leather jacket he wore reminded her of the one he'd had on the night her sister died. His hair was even styled the same. There was something darker in his eyes though.

And how was he still in Mystic Falls? Surely she wasn't the only person aware of what Damon Salvatore was. There was no conceivable way for him to have been here for the last twenty years without someone noticing that he wasn't aging. Someone would have said something. Sure he could probably come up with something on the fly at first. Botox, face lift… he was a crafty one and probably came with all sorts of things. But those kinds of things could only get you so far—everyone aged despite going under the knife. There was someone in town that had to know his secret. Whoever they were, probably wanted him dead as much as she did.

xXx

He wasn't used to being watched. As a vampire, he was the hunter, not the prey. But he'd been noticing eyes following him over the past few days.

Not that he let it get to him.

Damon Salvatore wasn't going to let anyone threaten him or stalk him, let alone a little girl. A pretty, little blonde thing. Either she was interested in him and too shy to approach him, or she knew what he was. Either way, he'd settle the score with her soon enough. He had seen her coming and going from the high school a few times, she was short and thin with curves that would make an hour glass itself jealous. Her milky skin was softly freckled. She seemed harmless enough, but so did Rebekah from a distance. She was butting into his life and he couldn't have that.

xXx

Charlie adjusted the sunglasses on her face as she trotted down the street. Her long flowing white dress waved in the breeze and she had her hand stuffed deep in the pocket of her jean jacket. The street was busy with people but she had a clear line of sight to the tall, porcelain and handsome man several feet in front of her. He was walking nonchalantly in the direction of his house—a location that she knew very well by now.

She stopped for a moment, looking slightly confused when he turned down a street she didn't recognize. She lifted her sunglasses a little before following him around the corner. She froze a second time after rounding the building.

The street was completely empty.

There were no corners for him to have turned or places for him to hide, but he had disappeared. She clenched her jaw in anger, but took a step back to head home herself; she'd find him again tomorrow.

She started to turn around when she collided with something solid and hard. She stumbled backward in surprise.

Damon smiled charmingly at her.

"I don't think we've been introduced."

Charlie stared at him with an open mouth, her hand in her jacket.

He stepped a little closer. "I'm Damon… Damon Salvatore." He extended his hand to shake hers and she jumped at the sudden movement.

Her hand slipped out of her jacket and an object clunked to the ground. It bounced a few times before rolling forward to Damon's feet.

He bent down and gently picked it up before looking up at her with cold blue eyes. All the charm had disappeared the second the wooden stake hit the ground.

**A/N: Dont forget to review! Would love to hear what you think! **

**-NinaRippner**


	3. Chapter Two

Cursed

Chapter Two

He could hear her heart pounding inside her chest. Her eyes were wide and her mouth open as if silently screaming. He pressed his lips together as he stood—fingering the tip of the wooden stake.

"Well?" He half shrugged. "Anything to say?"

She bounced forward, trying to make a quick move for the piece of wood. He simply shook his head and closed a strong hand around her wrist.

"Really?" He gave her a quick little shove causing her to stumble backward. "You're gonna try and take a wooden stake out of the hands of a vampire?"

Her feet shuffled for a moment before she turned her back to him and started to run.

"Now you're going to run? Really?" He shook his head again. She was either stupid, or well, stupid. There was no way she could outrun or overpower him.

Damon sighed and took a moment to admire the sight of her form moving away from him. The sun brightened her already blonde curls as they bounced with each movement and her white dress floated in the air behind her. His eyes flicked over her moving hips, he rarely got to see a beautiful woman from this angle. They typically ran to him, not away from them.

He waited until he was certain that she felt she had a head start before he took off after her. It took him a matter of seconds to catch to her. He closed his hand around her wrist again and shoved her against the nearby brick wall. She gasped in surprise, her back flattening against the building. She blinked her light eyes tightly; he could only guess that the hit to the wall stung a little. She looked up at him, still silent. Could this girl even talk?

"Now… you obviously know who I am…" He nodded a little as he spoke, watching her face for her reaction. "Who are you?"

Her jaw trembled and her head moved a little, but the only audible thing that came out was a little squeak. He could still hear her heart—she was terrified. He leaned forward and took a deep sniff, his nose almost in her hair.

"I don't smell vervain…" He opened her jacket. She turned her head away and winced. "You don't have another stake, but the fact you had it in the first place means that you know just how dangerous I can be."

He grabbed her chin and turned it back to him.

"So… why are you following me? Who are you?"

She stared at him for a moment, her brows knitting together.

"You… you don't recognize me?"

He stared back at her, trying to place the name, or even the voice, but before he could come up with anything his neck exploded in pain and his world went pitch black.

_Mystic Falls, 22 Years ago. _

Kassandra sighed as she slid the signed stack of paper across the desk. The lawyer nodded and smiled a little as he checked over them to make sure that everything was signed and initialed where it needed to be. She watched his wrinkly fingers riffle through the papers and then place them in his briefcase before looking at her with tired dark eyes.

"Everything seems to be in place." His words turned into hoarse coughs by the end of his sentence.

He was short, even seated in his chair, and his jacket covered most of his leathery skin. She watched him; her blue eyes were still moist and puffy from her visit to the hospital that morning. She had received a call from the emergency room somewhere around ten o'clock the previous night and had rushed over. By the time she had made it from her tiny apartment a few towns over to her home town of Mystic Falls it was already half past midnight. Upon arrival the nurse had set her down and told her that her mother's condition had worsened. She had been diagnosed with cancer not even four months earlier, however when she finally told Kass about it she had failed to mention exactly how severe it was.

Kassandra had then spent the rest of the night by her mother's bed. A few times she had caught herself falling asleep, but only to jump back awake five minutes later. At one point, her two year old sister Charlie had come in and given their mother a few squeezes and some goodnight kisses before the babysitter took her home for the night. Everyone knew what the night was going to hold, and no one wanted an innocent toddler to have to be in the middle of it all.

It was five forty-two before the heart monitor flat lined.

From that point on, she was just numb. She heard what everyone was saying but only a few things sunk in. Her mother's lawyer contacted her immediately and went over the custody papers that would ensure her younger sister would be able to stay with her. Apparently her mother had been prepared and had them on standby to make the process faster.

"Of course it will take a few days for everything to be finalized," he said.

Kassandra blinked a few times and swallowed hard before her eyes refocused on him.

"Of course," she said, her voice was hoarse from crying.

She hadn't had the best relationship with her mother, but other than Charlie, she was the last living member of her family. That meant something.

She watched him stand up. For the life of her, she couldn't remember what his name was. He had introduced himself to her earlier and she had even seen him sign some of the papers, but after all the events from the night before, nothing seemed to stick.

Kass stood up and led him to the door, she even did her best to smile and be polite, as he told her goodbye. She clicked the door shut and leaned her back against it. It would only be a matter of minutes before Charlie woke up from her 'nap'. It was so late in the day that there was no doubt in her mind that Charlie would never get back to sleep once she woke up, but she didn't have the heart keep the toddler up when she was clearly exhausted. Not after the night they had. Not even a minute had passed when she heard another knock at the door. She took a deep breath as if to prepare herself.

"Did you forget something—" she started

"Hey…"

She was silent for a second as she drank in the image of the man that stood before her. Tall build, dark hair, crisp blue eyes and smooth skin over sharp features. She had left a message on his phone not even an hour ago, but she didn't think he'd come.

He stood in the door way, his mouth slightly open as he watched her. There was a strange warmth in his eyes… a warmth and sadness she had never seen before. It was the closest thing to empathy she had ever seen from him. He had never felt sorry for her when she got her heart broken from one night stands, or when she had repercussions from her crazy nights out. But this time he truly felt her pain, because he knew how it felt to lose someone.

So he stood in her doorway, not stepping inside. She knew why, but her chin was trembling too much to invite him in.

He took a breath as if he was going to speak and she collapsed into chest, knowing he'd catch her, and he did.

He caught her and held her as she cried on the porch.

He didn't ask to be invited in. He didn't ask for anything.

_Mystic Falls, Present Day_

"You're lucky I was there, Damon may seem charming, but he's lethal." Jeremy handed Charlie a glass of water before sitting down in the fluffy Lazyboy across from her.

She smiled a little and nodded as she took a sip. They were sitting in the very much intact living room of the Gilbert house. There weren't a lot of threats that Klaus forgot about, but burning down the Gilbert home seemed to be one of them.

"So… you know what he is?"

Jeremy watched her over the rim of his glass as he took a long sip of his whiskey.

"I know all too well what he is. My sister was sired to him."

She nodded slowly, squinting her eyes as she tried to remember what that meant.

He let out a breath as he downed another mouthful. "It was his blood that turned her and it intertwined their souls together. He exploited that bond for as long as he could."

"So they broke the bond then?"

He was silent.

Jeremy threw his head back and downed the rest of his drink. He shook his head, then his shoulders as it made its way down his throat.

"She died about thirty years ago. He was there when it happened." He stared past Charlie, his eyes on the blank wall. "The vampire that killed her was looking for revenge on Damon Salvatore… I spent almost a year hunting for him… one day I realized that my sister would have wanted to Damon to live. She was never really into revenge. That is the only reason Damon Salvatore is alive right now."

Charlie swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on the broken hearted middle-aged man in front of her.

"Why…" she cleared her throat, "Why are you telling me this?"

His dark eyes snapped to her and he leaned forward in his chair.

"Because you saw the mark… that means you have a very valuable gift."

xXx

He really didn't recognize her. He'd met a lot of people over the past two hundred or so years he'd been alive, not to mention women. She was pretty, yes, so it's possible he'd slept with her or drank from her before. That still didn't explain why she remembered him or what she had a stake.

Even those people who recognized him didn't carry stakes in their jacket pockets. Well, expect for Jeremy Gilbert, but he expected nothing less from the Hunter.

He might not remember her, at least not yet, but he'd figure it out eventually. She certainly held a grudge - that should make it easier to figure out her identity. Most women adored him and worshipped the ground he walked on. Not this girl. She intrigued him. Too bad he didn't know who the hell she was.

xXx

"What do you want, Hunter?" Klaus breathed, sounding, like always, perpetually annoyed.

"I need a vampire."

"That's an oddly specific request. Why should I help you?"

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Look, I might have found another Hunter. I can't confirm it until they kill a vampire. Are going to help me or not?"

"That depends. What's in it for me?"

"Surely someone's pissed you off. I'll take them off your hands for you... in return I won't kill you."

Klaus laughed. "Oh, little Gilbert, how I've missed you... I tell you what, I'll play along for the time being. But if you even try to turn on me, Hunter's Curse or not, I will snap you like a twig."

"Noted. Now, about that vampire..."

**A/N: Don't forget to review, we love to hear from you and we respond to all reviews!**


	4. Chapter Three

Cursed

Chapter Three

Klaus lifted his fist and knocked on the old wooden door. He turned his head and let his eyes drift over the trees and skyline that surrounded them. He was slightly annoyed that the last Gilbert refused to meet together at his home in Mystic Falls. Not that he could blame him, considering the last time they saw each other face to face he had threatened to burn the place to the ground. He shuffled his shoulders under his dark jacket and glanced at the young man next to him. Brent couldn't have been older then sixteen, if that. He was short and thin, almost gangly. His tightly trimmed hair was bleached to the point it was almost fluorescent. His skin was deeply tanned and he even went as far as to wear his pants low. Something he believed people called 'sagging'. This idiot was the youngest and most useless vampire that he could muster up overnight. It was just as well; Gilbert had informed him that the new hunter was rather scrawny as well.

He lifted his fist again and knocked on the door, this time a little harder. The door opened seconds later.

Jeremy stood in front of them in a wife beater and a pair of sweat pants. He had the start of a five o'clock shadow, but besides that he still looked fit. His hair was even clean cut.

Klaus smiled with half of his mouth. "Glad to see the years haven't taken their toll on you, Hunter. Now how about inviting us in?"

"Not just yet." He motioned his chin toward Brent. "This the vampire?"

"Yes, this would be him. Though I don't see how we can proceed much further until you invite both of us in."

"Not yet. I want a guarantee that you didn't compel him to kill me the second he steps foot in here."

"How do you propose we go about that?" Klaus leaned back where he stood as if there were an invisible wall behind him.

"I want you to compel him. Right here. Right now. Compel him not to lift a hand to me or my hunter."

Klaus let out a breath through his nose and simply looked at him for a moment.

"What makes you think I won't kill you once I get in there?" he lifted his chin. "If you found another Hunter I can easily cut the Hunter's curse short."

"This Hunter wants Damon dead as much as you do. I trust your general curiosity will keep me alive."

xXx

_Europe, Thirty Years Ago_

It was a quiet evening until Klaus broke the door down in one solid kick.

Both vampires were startled from their respective seat before the fire. Utilizing their speed they moved for weapons, Elena's long hair whipping around. Klaus grabbed for Damon first, snapping the younger vampire's neck like a twig.

"No!" she shrieked, trying to stake Klaus as Damon crumpled to the ground.

"Not a chance, love." He tossed the stake across the room. "You're just making me angry."

The struggle was short-lived, with the Original pinning her down to the floor with stakes rammed through each thigh and her arms. She shrieked and twisted, trying to reach any of the stakes to pull them loose.

"No, no," he said, tsking at her. He nudged Damon with his shoe. He was still out, not having healed completely yet.

"Klaus, please… don't…"

"Not a word. You knew this was coming the moment you staked my brother. You're lucky I let you live this long."

She whimpered in pain on the floor as Damon groaned.

Klaus moved quickly, staking him in a sitting position against the wall by his arms.

"Please, don't… you don't need to do this…" Elena begged.

"Of course I do." He readied a stake. "Now, I want you to understand the pain I went through. If you feel even a touch of what I do, this is worth it."

"Klaus… you don't want to do this. If we find the cure… you need her blood…" Damon hissed. "If you kill her, you'll die alone."

"And so will you. Alone and unloved. Because I'm going to kill her and you will have to live knowing you got your lover killed. This is all your fault."

Klaus rammed the stake into Elena's heart, causing her skin to shrink and wither as she fell still. Damon screamed out oaths and curses as Klaus stood up.

xXx

_Mystic Falls, Present Day_

Charlie stepped out of her beat-up truck and slammed the door closed. She turned and kicked the door as hard as she could with a knee-high leather boot. The trip out of the city had been touch-and-go thanks to her run down engine. There were three separate times that she almost broke down on the side of the road. It was only by the grace of God that she made it to the cabin at all. Sure she was a good two-and-half hours late, but better late than never right? She zipped up her clingy leather jacket and begrudgingly headed up the path toward the wooden cabin. Jeremy hadn't really explained what they were doing today, or why they had to be so far out of town. He had merely stated he was going to make sure that she was indeed a potential Hunter. She had tried to push for further information, but beyond explaining what she 'potentially' was, he didn't offer her up much more. Instead they had spent more time talking about Damon Salvatore. He had questioned her on why she was so intent on his demise and she had questioned him on every little thing he knew about the Salvatore family. Granted, he gave her more useful information then she was able to give him.

Charlie stepped up the porch and knocked on the door. The door opened quickly and a tall, fit man stood before her. His hair was a dark blonde with a slight curl to it that matched his rather scraggily looking facial hair. His eyes were dark blue with flecks of green that she couldn't tear her eyes away from. His thin lips were graced with a half-smile as he titled his head down at her.

"You're not Gilbert…" Charlie said slowly.

"Very good, love," he mocked, eliciting a small, high schoolish glare from her which only seemed make him more amused.

"Charlie!" Jeremy called as he came up behind the man at the door. "I called you like five times. Where have you been?"

Charlie frowned and pulled her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans. "Dammit," she muttered when she saw all the missed calls. "I'm sorry, my car—" She stepped forward, thinking that the man would move and he didn't budge. She stopped mid-sentence and looked back up at him. "Can… can you move?"

He stepped to the side, his stupid half-smile still present on his face. Charlie stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "My car kept breaking down and apparently my phone wasn't working also—"

"It's fine. You just need to sit down."

"O...okay." She walked into the main living area, unsure of what was to come.

xXx

Klaus watched her as she passed him, taking a brief moment to admire her perfectly rounded backside under her skintight jeans. The fashion of painted-on clothes was a look he generally liked on fit, curvy women. It took several decades to adjust to the ever-changing hemlines and disappearing layers of fabric, but he'd begun to appreciate modern style. What really caught his eyes though were her long, soft blonde curls. They were the first thing he noticed when he opened the door.

Her hair, then her large golden eyes. Like a puppy. That look of surprise when he opened the front door topped the whole thing off. She certainly was not what he had expected when Gilbert had told him that he had found a potential Hunter. For one, he had never heard of a female Hunter, and the thought they even existed never crossed his mind. However, if she could really see his tattoo there really was no other explanation. Now the only thing left to do was confirm her potential and get her to complete her mark like the Gilbert boy never could.

The young woman sat down in the living room, giving a rather funny look to his 'friend' Brent who was sitting across the room. Brent lifted his chin in acknowledgment but kept his mouth shut, just like a good little vampire. No sense in scaring the little Hunter right away.

Charlie unzipped her jacket and was left with a rather loose fitting tank top. "So, what exactly are we doing here?"

"I told you," Jeremy said with his back turned to them as he messed with something on the table in front of him. Klaus was still watching the little girl. "We're going to get you started on your training."

"Yeah… I'm still unclear on how we're going to do that… and who these people are."

She had said "people", but Klaus knew she meant him. From the time he stepped aside for her to entire she had refused to look at him for even a moment.

"The name's Klaus, love." She looked up at him. "I'm going to help you kill your very first vampire."

xXx

Damon downed his short glass of bourbon and set the cup down with a loud 'clank'. The boarding house was eerily quiet. Had been for years. Stefan had stuck around for a year or two after Elena had followed Damon overseas, but he had quickly opted for something that would remind him less of his brother's 'betrayal'. Caroline and Tyler both moved away, as did Matt for a brief time to go to college—he was back now though, living somewhere among the chaos with a wife and daughter and brand new grandson. Not that Damon had really had a whole lot of time for reunions the last year and a half since he had come back home. The last time they were all together was their makeshift funeral for Elena. Even Stefan had shown up for it, though he hadn't seen him in decades. Stefan would never utter the words, but deep down he blamed Damon for her death.

Damon had heard that the night of the funeral that Klaus attacked both Tyler and Caroline; some said they both died, some said one or the other got away. It had become almost folklore amongst vampires—sort of a fairytale. An Original fighting for the woman he loved after having just killed her best friend. Damon had never bothered to go out of his way to find the truth. The years that went by after that were mostly a blur. He had fallen into old patterns. He did what (and whom) he wanted. He took whatever he wanted. He drank from boredom and relished in it. He had done everything he could do to forget about home and Elena and his brother and his broken life. There were even a few times that it worked. That was until he met her…

Kassandra had reopened his world and showed him what it meant be… well… human. It was a different sort of humanity. It wasn't a way that Elena ever could accomplish, what with her need for friends and family and her inability to stay clear of trouble. Kassandra didn't try and fix him and, in return, he didn't try and fix her. Together they simply rediscovered what it meant to be whole. Three blissful years he spent with her before Damon let her slip through his fingers out of pure selfishness. From hunger. From eagerness. It didn't matter anymore—she was long gone.

He picked up the bottle of bourbon and started to pour himself another drink. He paused halfway to his mouth.

That night… the night that everything changed, there was someone else there, a little girl. She had seen him. That's why he couldn't place her—he had told her to forget. Of course he wouldn't think of someone who was supposed to not know who he was.

How had she escaped the compulsion? Kassandra had never used vervain—and even if she had, if Kass had taught her how to use vervain—why wouldn't she use it while around him? He never sensed vervain on either sister. There had to be another explanation.

"Oh, Charlotte, you're in trouble now," he sang, slamming back his drink.

xXx

Charlie laughed a little as she stood up from the seat. "No, no, no, no, no." She shook her head. "No." Jeremy opened his mouth to speak. "No."

"Charlie—"

"No." She crossed her arms. "I just want Damon gone; you said you could make that happen."

Jeremy stepped closer. "And I meant that, but you have a lot of work to get through before that can happen."

Charlie tossed a curl over her shoulder and looked at him sternly. "I am not a killer."

Klaus cleared his throat. "Most Hunters fell that way before they discovered their gift. Once you start your own mark, your instincts will take over and it will become second nature."

Charlie watched him for a moment, her eyes wide. Klaus could see the hint of fear that she was trying to hide. Her heart rate had picked up as well did her breathing. His eyes flicked across her throat when she swallowed nervously under his eyes. Was Gilbert sure that she had seen his mark? His initial doubts about her were growing by the minute. It wasn't just because she was a girl either.

She tore her eyes away and turned back to Jeremy. "I'm not a killer." She picked up her jacket and turned toward the door, but before she could even take a step Klaus was in front of her with a hand gently around her neck.

"Listen, love…" He leaned his head forward so he was looking directly in her eyes. "Your new friend convinced me to come down here and provide the most harmless vampire that I could find for your first kill. Now one way or another someone is going to die here today. It's up to you if you want it to be you or the vampire."

Charlie stared back at him for a brief moment before stepping away.

"It's… just a stake to the heart, right?"

"Yes." Klaus turned his body slightly to take the wooden stake from Jeremy and then handed it to Charlie. "Be quick about it, though, you've already bored me."

She took the stake from him and slowly turned to Brent.

Brent stared up at her, his features unmoving as she approached him. She held the stake in one hand, the sharp end pointed at Brent. She stopped just in front of him, nervous.

'Why… why isn't he saying anything? He's just sitting there. Why is he just sitting there?" She looked up at both Klaus and Jeremy.

"He's compelled. It's fine," Jeremy encouraged.

She looked back at Brent and took another step forward. Her palm was sweaty and she could feel herself losing grip on the wooden stake. She twisted her wrist and tightened her grip. She was suddenly aware of everything in the room; even the humming of the air conditioning was distracting all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry," she mouthed as she pressed the stake to his chest. Her hand shook and she could feel her heartbeat throughout her entire body.

Charlie closed her eyes and pulled the stake back and with a loud shout she thrust it forward into his chest.

Brent grunted and hunched forward, his skin already darkening. Charlie stumbled backward, both of her hands shaking as she stared at the body. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were narrow slits as if she couldn't figure out what kind of emotion she was feeling.

"Charlie…" Jeremy touched her back gently.

She shook her head and turned, running for the trashcan. She barely made it before she got sick. She hung over the trashcan, tears streaming down her cheeks as she vomited.

Jeremy gently came up behind her and took her hand.

"Well?" Klaus demanded.

He looked up at him. "Nothing… there's no mark."


	5. Chapter Four

Cursed

Chapter Four

Charlie trudged out of the elevator and down the long, well-lit hallway of the hotel. She pressed her tired lips together and wrinkled her nose while she squinted up the right side of her face. She had never 'trudged' a day in her life; she didn't even know that people really did that. She had seen authors use it—too much if you ask her—but it was always a made up thing that let readers know that the character was depressed… defeated.

That was what she felt like, too: defeated. She had come to this town with one thing in mind: making Damon Salvatore pay for killing her sister. Her last living relative. She had even accepted a teaching job and agreed to start early—thus staying in a hotel for a few weeks while her housing situation was being worked out. She was nervous about the whole thing of course, she had said it herself she was no killer. For years she had dreamed of the day she got to drive a stake through his chest. It didn't make her very popular amongst the various foster homes that she was shuffled between. Nobody wanted to be friends with the kid who believed in monsters. That's how she had described Damon to the police that night. He was monster with large fangs. Something that wasn't human. She had even given them a description as best she could for a four-year-old.

There was no investigation.

The whole town of Mystic Falls knew that Kassandra was a druggie. She stayed out until all hours of the night and would come back in the morning without being able to remember what she had done mere hours ago. Nobody knew that changed when she got custody of Charlie. Kass may have been irresponsible and enjoyed having fun, but she loved her little sister whole heartedly. No one in Mystic Falls believed Kass could change. The moment she signed the custody papers, the neighbors started watching them closely, waiting for her to slip up. Everywhere they went together the other moms would look on at Charlie with pity. 'Poor little Charlotte, stuck with an incapable guardian'. Not that it was any of their business, but Charlie loved living with her older sister. Not that it was easy. Kassandra knew that too, she knew that she had things to fix in her life before she could be a fit mother. She stopped partying. She stopped drinking. She even got clean. None of it mattered—no one saw the Kass she knew.

About a month after their mother died, Kass had tried to give her up for adoption. Charlie didn't have very many memories of those two weeks—just a few flashes here and there.

The police had claimed that Kass had had a change of heart and left in the night—possibly with a boyfriend. They speculated that she was using again and that she wasn't thinking clearly enough to take care of Charlie anymore. Of course that had made many of the women in the town happy—they had been right about the town whore. 'Once a whore, always a whore,' they used to say. Murmurs went throughout the town. 'Finally', little Charlotte was going to be going to going to a good home. But she didn't get adopted. She floated through the system because no one wanted to adopt an awkward little girl who told the other children about the blood thirsty monster that killed her sister. A few had thought that it would be a good project to 'fix' her, but that was always short lived.

She sighed in relief when she saw her door up ahead.

Charlie had only been back in town for about two days when she met Jeremy Gilbert. He had given her hope that she could really accomplish her revenge. Then he had introduced her to a tall, handsome stranger with a thick, beautiful English accent and despite her fear there was a brief moment where she thought it would work. Then within seconds both men had ripped her hope away.

"_Nothing… there's no mark." _

Those words rang in her head. Just the thought of them made her sick to her stomach all over again. Klaus' entire demeanor had changed after that simple sentence. He was no longer amused by the little, scraggily vampire hunter. Instead she was the outsider who knew too much. He had leapt across the room and closed a stiff hand around her throat and demanded to know who had told her about the Mark.

She kept trying to tell him that no one had told her about the Mark, that when she had first seen it she had thought that it was a regular tattoo. He clearly did not believe her because at that point, his eyes darkened, and he had leaned forward as if to bite her. Jeremy had ripped him away before his fangs could get close to her skin and that point she fainted. By the time she woke up, Klaus was gone.

She slipped her keycard from her pocket and slipped it into the hotel lock. When it beeped and the light turned green she leaned forward and pushed the heavy door open. The small hotel room was dark with crisp, clean air. She took a deep breath and smiled to herself in the darkness as she stepped inside.

'_Whoosh!' _

Charlie gasped and her hair flew to the side, the door slammed closed behind her and the lights flipped on. She stepped forward and whirled around to face the mysterious wind.

Damon Salvatore stood in front of her, his blue eyes cold and locked on her.

"You have some explaining to do, Charlotte."

She watched him for a moment. "It's Charlie."

"I always hated that nickname. It's a boy's name." He stepped toward her and she systematically stepped backward. "Good to see you can talk though. After yesterday I was a little worried."

"Are you here to kill me?" she tried to sound brave.

"You started it." He stepped closer and she again stepped backward.

"You deserve whatever you get after what you did to my sister."

He paused and looked at her. "You weren't supposed to remember seeing me."

She snorted. "Why? Because you told me to forget it?" she snapped.

He stepped closer again. "I didn't just tell you to forget, I compelled you to forget."

"Oh! Well that makes it all better. Now I can forgive you for killing my sister." She glared up at him.

He was taken aback. Literally. He took a step away from her, his eyebrows scrunching together.

"You think I killed Kassandra?"

Slowly, Charlie's shoulders relaxed as she watched his face. He seemed hurt by the accusation. "You…"

There was a sharp knock at the door.

"Charlie? It's Jeremy, open up."

The door flew open and Damon disappeared down the hallway with another _'Woosh!' _leaving Charlie to face Jeremy.

_Mystic Falls, Twenty Years Ago_

With a loud gasp, Kassandra sat up. Her party dress was soaked in dried blood, her throat and chest covered as well. The sheet that'd been covering her fell to her waist as she took in her surroundings.

Beside her, Damon turned onto his side, lazily looking up at her. "Good morning."

She panted, touching her neck, remembering pain, lots of pain. Teeth. Sharp and biting… Damon bit her.

"How do you feel?" he asked, watching her.

"What happened last night?" Her eyes were wide, fear and shock and pain mixing together. She didn't remember going to his place. The last thing she remembered was making out on the couch in her mother's house, Charlie asleep upstairs.

"I turned you," he said matter-of-factly, sitting up with his bare, perfectly toned chest facing her.

"What?"

"I turned you."

She touched her neck again, feeling for puncture marks or a wound. Something; anything. "But… what? Why?"

"You said you might want to turn."

"I didn't say right now!" She backed away from him, repulsed for the first time. Kass never expected him to go through with it. At least, not like this. Not without warning.

He tossed her a blood bag. She recoiled further. "Damon, I can't be a vampire."

"So you'd rather die?"

"I thought I was dead." She looked at the bag. Her stomach growled. When did she last eat?

He sighed, sounding annoyed. "In a way…yes."

Kass gasped as she felt her fangs appear. It was a strange feeling, yet good at the same time. She could smell the sweet tang of blood. It was delicious…that coppery scent. She tried to cover her mouth. This was blood—she couldn't want blood. She couldn't be a vampire.

Damon sat up. "Drink it."

"Why? I'm already a vampire."

"You need to finish the transition."

"So if I don't drink it…"

"You'll die. For real," he explained. "And if you die, Charlotte will be all alone…"

She picked up the bag. It was heavy. "I just got her back… I can't…"

"Then you should drink it, Kass."

She bit down on her lip, her fang piercing the sensitive skin. She barely noticed the blood dripping down her chin. "You promise I won't hurt her?"

"I promise." He brushed his thumb across her chin, wiping the blood off.

She held the bag, still unsure. Could she do it? Could she be a vampire and live off blood? If she didn't…she'd never see Charlie again, or Damon. She'd be dead.

"Well, go on," he urged.

Kass bit into the bag gingerly, her new fangs puncturing the plastic with ease. Blood, thick and sweet, filled her mouth.

Damon shifted closer, stroking her hair. She leaned into the embrace, slowly draining the bag. Part of her wanted to suck it down in seconds, while the other part wanted to savor the taste and revel in the experience.

"Good girl…"

She turned, glancing up at him. She looked like a scared little girl. In fact, she looked very much like Elena had. It wasn't just the brunette hair, or the slender body, or the delicate features. There was something deeper than looks.

He leaned down and kissed her, causing her to drop the blood bag, the plastic now empty. She kissed him back, allowing them to shift positions as he moved from behind her to on top of her, his hands in her long hair. She leaned up into him, her body molding to his.

"You're a full vampire now," he said, when she broke away, panting a bit.

"I am?"

"You are."

Kass wrapped her legs around him, kissing him back. He could barely contain the smile on his face.

"You want me?" he teased.

"Are you still attracted to me?"

"Of course."

She leaned into the kiss as an answer, her hips rocking against his. He unzipped his pants as she fumbled with the zipper to her dress. It gave way with a good tug, revealing her matching lacy bra and thong. She knew how to buy lingerie.

He unhooked the bra one-handed. Kass still had her fangs visible, her eyes dark and the veins pronounced. She was sexy, even as a vampire. A seductress, much like Katherine Pierce, only without the cruelty.

"You look amazing."

"That so?" She used her new strength to turn the tables and push him onto his back. She straddled him now, the power dynamic shifted in a quick move.

He grinned up at her. He liked this side of Kass, especially when she kissed him roughly, her newly awakened instincts taking over. He let out a groan, his fingers wrapped in her dark hair, tugging on the strands.

Kass leaned forward and bit his lip. Blood trickled down his chin, her tongue lapping it up. He smiled at her, his blood on her lips and chin. The dark red stood out on her pale skin. "You're perfect," he mused.

She blushed, so innocent. So much like Elena.

Damon rolled her onto her back. She leaned up to kiss him and he bit her lip. She gasped in shock, her blood coming up quickly, allowing him to drink. She moaned a bit at the sensation. Even as a human, drinking her blood tended to cause her ecstasy instead of pain even without compulsion.

Kass leaned her head back on the pillow as he slipped inside her. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she gave into her feelings, the heightened sensations of pleasure, and the moment.

_Mystic Falls Present Day_

A dark mood settled over Klaus. The Hunter was a waste of his time, once again. One of these days he would snap Jeremy Gilbert's neck. Worthless, little Hunter... bringing him a pathetic little child. A potential Hunter. More like a potential snack.

Sure, he'd enjoyed her curvy body and the blonde hair, so much like Caroline, but she'd turned out to be useless. She was too weak to really stake anything other than a compelled vampire and even then, she'd nearly been sick. She didn't have the temperament to kill or the ability to be a Hunter. There was no Mark. She was nothing.

He slammed the door to his bedroom, rattling a painting on the wall. He didn't care.

In his bed, buried underneath a plush duvet, a woman stirred. "Nick...?" she groaned.

"Go back to sleep, love."

"What's wrong? You're upset..." she said sleepily.

"I said go to sleep."

She sat up, her dark hair tousled from sleep. "Talk to me..."

He glared at her. Just like that little blonde thing, she was annoying. If she wasn't useful in bed and fun to play with, he'd have killed her long ago. Some days, he snapped her neck for the hell of it, just to make her shut up. The rest of the time, he put up with her.

"Bloody Hunter... telling me he had a potential..."

"What can I do?" she asked, rubbing his shoulders. He let out a groan. She was good with her hands, her mouth, and her tight little body. He was glad he'd found her most days.

"Find me a doppelganger."

"Where do I start?" She smiled. She had asked that same question so many times before.

He smirked. Young vampires were so naive and eager to please. "You can't. They don't grow on trees."

"I hate seeing you like this." There was something seductive about the way she said it.

"Don't fret, love." He stroked her hair. "I have it under control. Go back to sleep."

She kissed him and snuggled back under the covers. He tucked her in, his hand resting on the curve of her back. As much as he hated Damon Salvatore, he had to admit he had good taste in women-when he wasn't tossing them aside. Poor little Kassandra. Good thing he'd taken her in. Given her a home.

She looked up with dark brown eyes at him. "Nick.. will you stay?"

Klaus groaned. He did need time to cool down before he bothered with the lying little blonde and the Hunter. What better way than to spend time with her? Scratch an itch or two.

He brushed her hair from her neck. "Kassandra, Kassandra... why do you even bother to ask? Hmm?" He felt the blood pumping under her skin. His fangs appeared, his eyes dark, and he lunged forward, biting into the tender flesh.

She let out a cry before she relaxed. "Good girl," he smirked, blood dripping down her pale skin, the area around the bite mark discolored as venom slipped into her veins.

A few tears welled up in her eyes as the pain hit, but she didn't scream. She never screamed. She knew better


	6. Chapter Five

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Cursed

Chapter Five

Jeremy poured a tall cup of coffee and picked it up by the blue handle before he walked around the island and towards the Gilbert living room. Charlie was curled up on the sofa wrapped in a blanket. It was a mere three hours after Damon had shown up in her hotel room. Even though Damon had promptly left when Jeremy showed up, he had worked Charlie into a full blown panic attack. He knew that Damon was too smart to show up twice in one night, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Charlie alone—even after he had gotten her to calm down.

"I don't know how he got in there… I didn't invite him in," Charlie muttered as she stared at the floor.

She gently took the coffee from him and took a slow sip, wincing at the temperature.

Jeremy sat down in the recliner next to her. "You were staying in a hotel. The rules are different," he explained. Charlie didn't say a word as she kept drinking her coffee. "You… you didn't do much research, did you?"

She brushed a blonde curl out of her face and glanced at him with golden eyes. "I did enough so that I knew how to kill him. That was all I needed."

He nodded. That one simple statement explained so much. She had come unprepared, not knowing what she was doing. Part of him couldn't help but wonder… if she had done all of her research, would she still have come looking for revenge? She didn't seem like the type that sought out danger. She was young and doe-eyed. Damn near innocent.

She glanced up at him again. Her eyes were so big… and bright. Combined with her pixie freckles she looked like a teenager still. She had this aura around her of kindness. He had even seen it affect Klaus when they met. His domineer and voice had shifted ever so slightly. It had been subtle, but it was there. It wasn't just that he was attracted to her either, he had seen him around beautiful girls before and it wasn't the same. It was closer to the way that Klaus would look at Caroline. It was softer then when he looked at anyone else.

'One thing's for sure, you can't stay there anymore," he announced matter of fact.

Charlie nodded. "Am I staying here then?"

"Oh, no, Damon's been invited in." He looked her in the eyes. "There's only one place that Damon Salvatore wouldn't dare go inside."

* * *

Klaus watched Charlie through the doorway. He had wasted no time making his way over to the Gilbert house after Jeremy called him. He may not have a use for the little twerp yet, but there was no way he was going to let someone kill it before he found out what it was. He had been around enough to know that if she really was special, he either needed her on his side or dead.

The easiest way to do that was to keep her close.

Damon wasn't stupid, but the little one had already tried to kill him once. There was no telling what he would do now that he had access to her. Damon Salvatore was all about self-preservation.

So there they were, staring at each other over the threshold. The Gilbert boy still wouldn't invite him in. Not that he could blame him.

Charlie watched him with her big bright eyes. She tried to hide the innocent look by eyeing him suspiciously. It didn't work though; she still looked like a puppy.

"I heard you needed a place to stay." He half smiled at her. He needed to be the good guy right now. "I thought you might be comfortable with me. My house is spacious and well protected. Damon Salvatore wouldn't dare set foot inside the walls."

Klaus watched her. He wasn't surprised to see the hesitation in her face, but he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Not until he knew what she was. Or who had told her about the Mark. She wasn't a witch. But she wasn't human…at least, not completely.

"I…I've got a hotel room…" Charlie said. She shook her head and gave him a stern look. It was like a little girl trying to look like a grown-up, and again it didn't work.

"Oh, no, I insist. There's plenty of room and it's much nicer than a hotel. I have several guest suites. I would enjoy the company." Another little white lie.

He didn't need the company.

"I don't want to be trouble."

"You won't be," he smiled. "No trouble."

Trouble was already upstairs in his bedroom. Little Charlotte wasn't even close to being trouble. Cute, yes. Trouble, no, not really.

"Let's get you settled, shall we?" he stepped aside.

She followed him, her little heart racing. The beat was music to his ears. He couldn't wait to taste her. The second he discovered she was useless he would drain her. He fell behind her a few steps so that he could watch her hair bounce as she walked.

Maybe he wouldn't drain her right away.

* * *

Kassandra was sitting on the bed when Klaus walked into his room, her bare back to him.

"I saw her, you know," she called without turning to face him.

Klaus looked over at her. "You do have your own bedroom, love."

She turned to him this time, holding his large duvet to her bare chest. "If you're trying to hide her from me, it's not working."

He stepped to the end table and took his time pouring himself a drink. "I've never hidden my other women from you... No, Charlotte is only staying here for a short time. She's special-I like to keep special things alive until I know what they are." He dipped his back as he downed his drink. When his chin came back down Kassandra was standing in front of him, still holding his duvet against her for cover.

"And what about me?" She tilted her head; a lock of brunette hair fell into her eyes. "You promised me the cure if I helped you. I found the witch, I killed thirty people for you, and I convinced Jeremy to come out of retirement so that he could finish his mark."

He stared down at her. "You'll get it soon enough, I'm not in the mood for it tonight."

Klaus turned from her and nonchalantly walked to the closet across the room.

"You're stalling. Why are you stalling?" She followed him. "I deserve to know." When he didn't answer her right away, she continued. "I have done everything you asked of me, Nick, and now you bring in another… another… what is she?"

"I don't know." He shrugged out of his jacket and started to reach into the closet for a hanger. "But she can see the Hunter's Mark and she cannot be compelled. She's either a meaningless nothing or extremely dangerous. Either way I want to be the first to find out." He flashed her an almost mocking smile.

He sat himself down on the edge of the bed, yanking his shoes off.

Kassandra went on her knees at his feet, all the while still holding the bedding to cover herself. She touched his arm with a hand and looked up at him.

"So, this isn't about you replacing me?"

He looked down at her for a moment before gently touching her cheek. His thumb caressed and soothed her soft skin.

"You are the last link I have to the Petrova bloodline; I couldn't replace you even if I wanted to."

* * *

Jeremy guided his SUV to a slow stop in front of a small white house. He glanced over at Charlie in the passenger seat who had already undone her seat belt and looked ready to jump from the car. She had been silent the whole ride over and it made him slightly nervous about how her first night staying with Klaus went.

"Bonnie is the strongest witch I know. If she doesn't know what you are then she'll be able to tell us who does."

Charlie nodded, staring out the window. "Let's get this over with."

They both approached the house. They barely stepped on the porch before the front door swung open wide. No one was there to open the door, but it opened nonetheless.

"Bonnie?" Jeremy called, stepping inside first.

Charlie hung back, biting her lip.

"I was expecting you," she called, visible in the living room. Even though she was older than Jeremy, she appeared virtually the same as she had in high school. Being a witch, she aged slower than the average person.

"I need your help… this is Charlie. She's a friend."

Bonnie nodded, standing up. "Don't be shy."

Jeremy grimaced a bit, knowing she'd deliberated failed to invite her in. It was a little test to determine what she was. A vampire couldn't cross the threshold, but he knew she wasn't one. No vampire had ever seen his Mark. Plus, he didn't feel the urge to kill her that accompanied vampires.

Charlie stepped inside, too nervous to sit.

"It's okay. This is a safe space," Bonnie said, approaching her. "Relax."

She took a breath. Jeremy sat down on a faded couch, watching them.

Bonnie reached out for Charlie's hands. Shaking, she extended her arms. Around them, candles flickered to life. Charlie jumped ever so slightly and looked around, had she been expecting them?

Bonnie closed her eyes, channeling. Jeremy watched from the couch. He had seen her work before and each time it made him have a little more respect for her.

She barely touched Charlie before pulling away with a gasp.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, jumping to his feet. He looked between both girls.

"Get out of my house," Bonnie said, taking a large step away from Charlie. "You're not welcome here."

"Bonnie—"

"Get her out, Jeremy." Bonnie walked to the door, holding it open for them. "I can't help you…either of you."

He frowned. "But—"

"At the university… there's a professor. His name is Shane. Tell him I sent you. I can't help you, but he might be able to."

* * *

**Well, there you go! Chapter Five! Chapter Six should be up soon! let us know what you think, we love hearing from you!**


	7. Chapter Six

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Cursed

Chapter Six

Cursed.

That was what the witch had said. She said she had 'felt' a curse. What the hell did that even mean? That she felt a curse on Charlie? When she had done her minimal research into vampirism, she of course had glazed over the whole witch thing. Everything she read said that witches were supposed to keep the balance in the universe and that mystical mumbo jumbo. So if a witch was scared of her… what did that mean exactly? She looked down at her hand that was sitting palm up on her mahogany finished teacher's desk. Could she really be dangerous?

Charlie jumped when the bell rang signaling the end of class. She looked up to see all thirty of her students starting to gather their things and making a break for the door as if their lives depended on it. Not that they really had any work to do, She had only been there for about three days and was still getting into the swing of things. The real work didn't begin until tomorrow. A few of the students waved as they passed and some were in clusters talking amongst each other.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" she called. None of her students so much as turned her way. It always amazed her how fast students could disappear out of a classroom.

She lazily watched the door swing closed before standing up on her tired feet. The ride home from Bonnie's home the day before had been eerily silent. She hadn't slept at all that night, partly because of what Bonnie had said and partly because couldn't shake the awkward feeling due to Klaus staying just down the hall. Men had never been her forte—even though she had learned to cut down on the vampire talk by the time she hit high school she was pegged as a freak. She wasn't cool enough for the cool people or 'normal' and she was too thin, gangly, and awkward for any of the nerds or weirdoes to give her a second thought. She was almost out of college before she started to fill out. She had found it strange, but even the doctors couldn't find a reason why. There was no chemical imbalance or anything that could be fixed—puberty just hit her late. Extremely late.

It would have worried her, but everything seemed to be in order. In fact every doctor she went to said that she was in perfect health.

Talking to men was hard enough, but suddenly to be living with one?

Not that it seemed to faze him at all. She had seen him for a total of about ten minutes since he had given her a room. She snuck down to the kitchen when the coast was clear and ran back to her room with whatever food she could find. And that was how she ate her meals. At one point he had almost caught her with her arms full of food, but she had managed to double time it and made it safely to her room before he could see her.

It was amazing that she was able to hold her cool around Jeremy Gilbert—though it was probably due to the fact that he was a good twenty-three years her senior. Granted, he was handsome but he lacked that certain… something that made him attractive. Maybe that was why she didn't become a mumbling clumsy mess when she was alone with him.

She blew a loose curl out of her face as she surveyed the mess that her students had left. Most of them had bolted so fast that they had left down all of their art supplies; there were a few work places throughout the room where the student had somehow found time to clean their brushes and put away their paints before running from the room. That's how you could tell the students who were serious about the art class from those who were there because they needed the elective credit.

Charlie turned to her desk again and started to gather up the things that she needed for the night. Tonight the work really started.

xXx

Klaus had heard Charlie's car pull up into the drive and made quick work of the small space between his office and her bedroom. Not that he really needed to mess with her. However any and all advancements he had to do for the day were long done and Kassandra had made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with him for the night. Now of course he could compel his way into her bed, but at some point it got redundant.

He wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to accomplish for the night but every time he saw those little curls bouncing down the halls it brought a little bit of a smile to his face. He didn't know why—she was attractive but there was something… else. It was as if her personality itself sparkled.

Klaus sat back in the chair at her desk, his feet up as he lounged, simply waiting for her to come to the door.

"How is the room?" he asked when he heard the door squeak.

Charlie jumped; all the art supplies in her hands fell to the ground with a variety of thuds.

He smirked at her as she looked at him with large, golden eyes. He could hear her heart flutter inside her chest and the other corner of his mouth fought a little to curve upwards.

"I didn't mean to startle you."

"I-I just didn't realize anyone was home." She bent down and started to pick up.

"I'm sorry... not used to having others around." He got down to help.

She put the stuff on the table. She paused and looked at him. "You're the only one staying in this house?"

"Of sorts." He set a thing of paint brushes on the table and stood back to his full height. He couldn't help but revel in the several inches that he towered over her. "This house was built for my family and I. My family is sacred to me, but I still find myself alone."

"You don't seem like the kind to care."

"I've lived a thousand years." He watched her stand up. "I've seen generations come and go. They were the only constant in my life."

She turned to her desk and fiddled with the papers.

"But you still haven't lost your accent?" It came out more flirty then she meant and her face immediately turned red.

"I travel a lot. Spent a lot of time around Europe. Then I came back here. I always travel with my family. One sister and a handful of brothers."

"And they all... have accents?" she squeaked, trying to come off less flirty.

"Most. Well, those who are still living."

There was the face again. Her jaw dropped and her lips made a small 'o'. "O... oh."

"Damon killed one. I had to put down another."

She cleared her throat. "Ummm... I'm tired." She turned toward the bed, tripping over her own feet.

He caught her with one arm; her blond ponytail bounced heavily and he wondered for a split second why her hair wasn't down.

She whirled around to face him, her face close to his. She blushed heavily again. The pink on her cheeks brought out her freckles even more.

"You okay?" It was the first time he had forced so much of his accent into just two words.

"Yeah... I just... I've never... yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." He brushed a loose curl from her face.

Her face reddened, her eyes on his lips. "I just... I've never been this close... to a guy..."

"I'm not just any guy." It was cliché, sitcomish, and he knew it before the words even came out of his mouth, but he knew they would work. She bunched her brows a little and looked up at him.

"I'm an Original, love." She smiled just a little bit. "And a hybrid."

"I'm not sure what that means," she admitted.

"I was one of the first vampires ever... and I'm part wolf. I'm unique."

"Oh..." She nodded, her eyes flipping between his mouth and his eyes, still looking small in his arms.

He smiled at her. "I've only been a wolf for a few decades."

"Really? So... you're part vampire and part dog?"

"Wolf, love. There's a difference." His eyes narrowed a little bit at her. He despised that word.

"A wolf is a dog."

"No, a wolf is better. Stronger. More regal. Dogs are below us."

"I... I had a dog," she started to ramble. Her eyes lifted above his head as she spoke. "It wasn't a wolf though, because Miss Rosa said that wolves would eat us."

"Dogs are very different from wolves."

"I've never actually seen one."

"A wolf? I might have to show you some time."

"Oh..." she nodded again. "Wait, is that a threat? 'Cause with the accent I can't tell."

He didn't say anything and simply nodded yet again. She nodded, and then paused for another moment, still trying to decide what exactly he meant. Her mouth slightly open.

"I think you'll catch flies if you keep your mouth like that." He touched her cheek.

She tucked her lips into her mouth and pressed down, her eyes snapping to him.

He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Relax."

She trembled a little at his touch, but she didn't ask him to stop and neither did her eyes.

"Do you want me to stop?"

She shook her head. "No..." she answered as he eased her toward the bed. Part of him wasn't sure if she really meant it or not.

She gently sat down on the bed, looking away, clearly nervous. She scooted further onto the bed.

"Cozy?"

"Mmm," she nodded, looking up at him. Her eyes were big and bright again.

He stroked her hair, pulling it loose from the pony tail. She pulled back, letting her hair hide her face. He leaned down and kissed her firmly, she moaned, her eyes fluttering. He closed her eyes as the taste of her mouth filled his and he leaned her back onto the bed. She was tense, shaking a little. He could hear her heart flutter inside her chest again and it thrilled him.

"I won't hurt you."

She nodded. "I...I've never..."

"We'll go slow." He stroked her cheek.

xXx

"Bonnie told me you needed my help?"

Looking at Professor Shane over the table after so many years was at least four different degrees of strange. After Elena… passed away it quickly came out exactly how badly Shane was manipulating Bonnie. Unfortunately, Bonnie had already started to go off the deep end and Shane was the only person who could keep her grounded. That little fact was the only thing that kept them from running him out of town.

Jeremy nodded, seated across from the professor. He'd aged considerably compared to the rest of them. Slow aging was the one good side effect of being supernatural. Shane looked his advancing age – closer to sixty rather than the mid-to-late forties or early fifties he really was.

"She said you might be able to help us. Charlie can see the Mark…only she's not a Hunter. We already tried…"

Shane nodded, clearly interested. "And she hasn't shown any aptitude as a witch?"

"Like what?" he asked. He didn't have the pleasure of being close with Bonnie when she was discovering her special gift.

"A sense or feeling of what's to come or even an unexplained occurrence steaming from extreme emotions, such as lighting candles or causing objects to move. It varies in each witch."

He shook his head. "None that she's mentioned. Would that really matter? Bonnie never could see my mark even after gaining her extra power."

"Hmm, and what exactly did Bonnie say?"

"That's the thing," Jeremy admitted, leaning forward. "She didn't. She was kind and then she freaked out after holding her hands. She was channeling something and threw Charlie out. She was terrified."

Shane nodded, taking this in. "Witches aren't generally easily scared. However, it's possible she's an unknown entity left from the time of the Originals or even Silas. Sometimes it takes hundreds or thousands of years for the right set of circumstances."

"You mean, like a doppelganger?"

The professor shook his head. "In a sense, yes, but no, not a doppelganger. Something more powerful and dangerous. I suspect other witches warned Bonnie…ones who've seen her kind before," he said looking up at the ceiling. "I need to do some research. There's a number of possibilities."

"Like what?" Jeremy demanded.

"Well, there's dozens of legends and myths similar to those we've proven thanks to the Originals, the hybrids, and the doppelganger. Even the Hunters. I'm going to look into the lesser known ones first. It'll take some time."

"Can't you guess?" Jeremy was slightly annoyed.

"Honestly? I think she's supernatural, but more human than powerful. Like part of a curse. An element that can be used for good or evil. It's the potential that scares Bonnie. Not knowing is deadly in a witch's mind."

xXx

Klaus was still lying beside her the next morning when Charlie started to wake up, his chest bare to the crisp air of the bedroom. Charlie rolled over and put her head on his chest, starting to snuggle in. He glanced sideways at her before sitting up, effectively moving her off of him.

She stretched out, her toes peaked out of the bottom of the blanket and wiggled. "Klaus?"

He slipped his pants on, not even looking over at her.

"Where are you going?"

"I have work to do."

She sat up, holding the blanket to her chest. "You can't hang out for a little while?" She looked up at him with large golden eyes.

"Sorry, love. Things to do, people to torment." He smirked at her.

"Oh... will I see you later?"

"Perhaps." He had almost forgotten how much fun it was to act nonchalant.

"You could come by tonight..."

"We'll see." He slipped on his shirt.

"Oh... I just thought... after last night—"

"It was fun, but I have work to do. Unless you want Damon to keep terrorizing the town."

"Oh... right." She sounded disappointed but looked away.

"And unfortunately, you aren't very good."

She looked at him, her nose turning pink. "What?"

"You aren't very good in bed. Even for being...you know." Harsh, yes, but he didn't need someone sniffing around his bedroom.

"Oh..." She looked away. Tears welling up in her eyes.

"Anyway, I've got things to do."

She nodded. "Right... okay," she squeaked.

He walked past the bed and out the door without another word.

xXx

The smoke was coming from an abandoned warehouse a good half hour out of town. It was merely by luck that Charlie had crawled out of the house early to clear her head with a little drive before heading to work. She pulled to a stop in front of the burning warehouse and fumbled for her cell phone.

"Oh my God," she breathed as she stepped out.

She quickly dialed 9-1-1 on her phone but discovered that she had no signal. She turned her back to the warehouse and held her phone up in the air as she tried to get signal. Before her phone could make that fateful beep that told her that she was able to make a phone call, another car came rolling down the street.

"Hey! Hey over here!" She screamed as she waved her arms.

The car turned and parked just in front of her.

"Oh thank God!" She ran around to the driver's side door only to take a stumbling step back when Damon Salvatore stepped out of the vehicle.

He took less than a second to look at her before making his way to the building.

Charlie followed after him, still holding her cell phone.

"What are you doing? Did you start this fire?"

Damon merely gave her a sideways glance before standing in front of the door and kicking it in. The metal door collapsed inward with a large dent where his foot had landed. If you could call it a dent, it was more like a crater.

"Wait are you…" She was going to ask if he was going to go into a burning building but before the question could come out, he had already disappeared into the smoke.

Not even a moment later, people started to file out, coughing, hacking and covered in soot. Charlie gapped as she watched them; after the third one stumbled out she went back to trying to get signal on her phone again.

"Twelve," Damon muttered as he rushed from the burning building. He stopped just in front of Charlie. "Exactly twelve."

She stared at him for a moment.

"You… you helped those people…"

He looked at her. "I'm not the bad guy in the story. Its time you learn that, Charlotte, because you need to rethink what side you're on." He started to walk past her, but paused and leaned down. "That door was welded from the inside and the fire originated in there too—now I can't think of a reason why twelve terrified people would do that to themselves unless they were compelled. Can you?"

With that he walked away.

She turned a little so that she could watch him walk toward the small group people. Her heart sank as she watched him, because she really couldn't think of another reason.


End file.
